It is in Daniel 5 that King Belshazzar (son of King Nebuchadnezzar and the one who inherits the throne from his father) asks for the sacred vessels of the Temple in Jerusalem to be brought out and used for a wild and drunken party. As they are dishonoring these vessels, a hand appears opposite the King and writes something on the wall.
The King cannot read it, nor can his enchanters, so Daniel is about to be called upon again to interpret the words which have been sent from God.
To say, "The handwriting is on the wall" is to claim the simplicity of the message, even though there is an acknowledgment that not all will be able to read it. All will see the decree; not all will agree on how it is to be interpreted.
It is always the challenge of God's people to find a way to open the eyes of others to the words which God has spoken. It is sometimes a challenge for the people of God to find an interpretation of the words upon which all can agree. One will claim the words mean this; others will insist the words mean that.
Sometimes the words are difficult to read; more often it is the message of the words which we find objectionable and thus search for some way to pretend that the handwriting is not on the wall.
We know what the word of God is regarding care of creation - but do we listen?
We know what the word of God is regarding loving others - but how often do we harbor grudges or fail to interpret their actions in the kindest of ways?
We know what the word of God is regarding the money being carried in our pockets - but do we return our tithe (the first 10%) and then make an offering?
The handwriting is on the wall. Join me in reading Daniel 5 to discover what it says.
No comments:
Post a Comment